Etowah County, Alabama

Waterfalls Near Gadsden, AL

Gadsden has 5 named waterfalls within 30 miles, 1 of them inside 10 miles. Noccalula Falls is the closest at 2.1 miles to the northwest. Noccalula Falls earns the best visitor rating nearby (4.7 stars from 1,271 Google reviews). Most of the falls are north of Gadsden.

Distances are straight-line from the town center. Driving routes are longer.

Photo of Noccalula Falls in Etowah County, Alabama
Pictured: Noccalula Falls, AL

Best Waterfalls Near Gadsden at a Glance

12 Waterfalls Near Gadsden, Ranked by Distance

  1. Noccalula Falls

    Gadsden, AL · Etowah County · 2.1 mi northwest of Gadsden
    4.7 (1,271 reviews)

    Noccalula Falls is the closest named waterfall to Gadsden, 2.1 miles to the northwest in Etowah County. It draws more Google reviews than any other waterfall near Gadsden. Visitors to this 90-ft. waterfall & huge park can hike, pet animals, putt-putt golf, picnic & camp.

    Rating
    4.7 (1,271 Google reviews)
    Address
    Gadsden, AL 35904
    View details Directions

  2. Swindell Falls

    Crossville, AL · DeKalb County · 19 mi north of Gadsden
    5.0 (2 reviews)

    Swindell Falls lies 19 miles north of Gadsden in DeKalb County, number 2 of 12 by distance. It ranks 11th for review count among waterfalls near Gadsden. Its own nearest town is Crossville.

    Rating
    5.0 (2 Google reviews)
    Address
    DeKalb County, AL 35961 (GPS 34.2773, -85.9385)
    View details Directions

  3. Griffin Falls

    Crossville, AL · DeKalb County · 19 mi north of Gadsden
    4.4 (40 reviews)

    Griffin Falls lies 19 miles north of Gadsden in DeKalb County, number 3 of 12 by distance. It ranks 4th for review count among waterfalls near Gadsden. Its own nearest town is Crossville.

    Rating
    4.4 (40 Google reviews)
    Address
    DeKalb County, AL 35962 (GPS 34.2874, -85.9304)
    View details Directions

  4. Short Creek Falls

    Albertville, AL · Marshall County · 24 mi northwest of Gadsden
    3.4 (28 reviews)

    Short Creek Falls lies 24 miles northwest of Gadsden in Marshall County, number 4 of 12 by distance. It ranks 6th for review count among waterfalls near Gadsden. Its own nearest town is Albertville.

    Rating
    3.4 (28 Google reviews)
    Address
    Marshall County, AL 35951 (GPS 34.3224, -86.2043)
    View details Directions

  5. High Falls

    Crossville, AL · DeKalb County · 27 mi north of Gadsden
    4.7 (47 reviews)

    High Falls lies 27 miles north of Gadsden in DeKalb County, number 5 of 12 by distance. It ranks 3rd for review count among waterfalls near Gadsden. Its own nearest town is Crossville.

    Rating
    4.7 (47 Google reviews)
    Address
    DeKalb County, AL 35951 (GPS 34.4001, -86.0680)
    View details Directions

  6. Thompson Falls

    Arab, AL · Marshall County · 32 mi northwest of Gadsden
    3.0 (24 reviews)

    Thompson Falls lies 32 miles northwest of Gadsden in Marshall County, number 6 of 12 by distance. It ranks 7th for review count among waterfalls near Gadsden. A series of tiered waterfalls, surrounded by woods & offering trails for hiking.

    Rating
    3.0 (24 Google reviews)
    Address
    Marshall County, AL 35976 (GPS 34.3145, -86.4222)
    Known for
    trespass, private property, hike, falls
    View details Directions

  7. Ragsdale Falls

    Arab, AL · Marshall County · 32 mi northwest of Gadsden
    1.5 (4 reviews)

    Ragsdale Falls lies 32 miles northwest of Gadsden in Marshall County, number 7 of 12 by distance. It ranks 10th for review count among waterfalls near Gadsden. Its own nearest town is Arab.

    Rating
    1.5 (4 Google reviews)
    Address
    Marshall County, AL 35976 (GPS 34.3345, -86.4092)
    View details Directions

  8. Little River Falls

    Fort Payne, AL · DeKalb County · 34 mi northeast of Gadsden
    4.8 (174 reviews)

    Little River Falls lies 34 miles northeast of Gadsden in DeKalb County, number 8 of 12 by distance. It ranks 2nd for review count among waterfalls near Gadsden. Water rushing over rocks into a deep pool, with swimming holes & an observation deck.

    Rating
    4.8 (174 Google reviews)
    Address
    DeKalb County, AL 35973 (GPS 34.3951, -85.6269)
    View details Directions

  9. Piney Branch Falls

    New Hope, AL · Marshall County · 35 mi northwest of Gadsden
    1.5 (11 reviews)

    Piney Branch Falls lies 35 miles northwest of Gadsden in Marshall County, number 9 of 12 by distance. It ranks 9th for review count among waterfalls near Gadsden. Its own nearest town is New Hope.

    Rating
    1.5 (11 Google reviews)
    Address
    Marshall County, AL 35747 (GPS 34.4803, -86.2624)
    View details Directions

  10. Salt Creek Falls

    Munford, AL · Talladega County · 36 mi south of Gadsden
    3.9 (40 reviews)

    Salt Creek Falls lies 36 miles south of Gadsden in Talladega County, number 10 of 12 by distance. It ranks 5th for review count among waterfalls near Gadsden. Its own nearest town is Munford.

    Rating
    3.9 (40 Google reviews)
    Address
    Talladega County, AL 36268 (GPS 33.5015, -85.9047)
    View details Directions

  11. Little Falls

    Fort Payne, AL · DeKalb County · 42 mi northeast of Gadsden
    5.0 (1 reviews)

    Little Falls lies 42 miles northeast of Gadsden in DeKalb County, number 11 of 12 by distance. It ranks 12th for review count among waterfalls near Gadsden. Its own nearest town is Fort Payne.

    Rating
    5.0 (1 Google reviews)
    Address
    DeKalb County, AL 35984 (GPS 34.5193, -85.6105)
    View details Directions

  12. Welcome Falls

    Arab, AL · Morgan County · 43 mi northwest of Gadsden
    3.0 (15 reviews)

    Welcome Falls lies 43 miles northwest of Gadsden in Morgan County, number 12 of 12 by distance. It ranks 8th for review count among waterfalls near Gadsden. Its own nearest town is Arab.

    Rating
    3.0 (15 Google reviews)
    Address
    Morgan County, AL 35621 (GPS 34.3159, -86.6647)
    View details Directions

Where the Waterfalls Are

Gadsden sits in or near the Lookout Mountain and Sand Mountain area of Alabama. The plateau country of northeast Alabama holds the state's best-known falls. On Lookout Mountain in DeKalb County, the Little River cuts a canyon into the plateau, and Little River Falls, De Soto Falls on the river's West Fork, High Falls and Griffin Falls all lie within a short drive of Fort Payne. At the southern tip of the mountain, Noccalula Falls drops about 90 feet into a gorge on the edge of Gadsden and is surrounded by a large city park. Across the Tennessee River valley, Sand Mountain in Marshall County has smaller tiered cascades such as Thompson Falls and Short Creek Falls, which run best after rain. Read the Alabama waterfall guide.

By direction from Gadsden: 3 to the north and 2 to the northwest. They are spread across DeKalb County (3), Etowah County (1), and Marshall County (1). The average distance is 18.2 miles.

By Distance

Within 10 miles of Gadsden

Noccalula Falls (2.1 mi)

10 to 20 miles of Gadsden

Swindell Falls (19 mi), Griffin Falls (19 mi)

20 to 30 miles of Gadsden

Short Creek Falls (24 mi), High Falls (27 mi)

Nearby Towns With Waterfalls

Waterfalls Near Gadsden: FAQs

How many waterfalls are near Gadsden, AL?

5 named waterfalls lie within 30 miles of Gadsden: 1 within 10 miles, 2 10 to 20 miles, 2 20 to 30 miles. Distances are straight-line from the town center.

What is the closest waterfall to Gadsden?

Noccalula Falls in Etowah County is the closest, about 2.1 miles northwest of Gadsden.

What is the best-rated waterfall near Gadsden?

Noccalula Falls has the highest Google rating among nearby falls with at least 10 reviews: 4.7 stars from 1,271 Google reviews.

Which counties are the waterfalls near Gadsden in?

DeKalb County (3), Etowah County (1), and Marshall County (1).

How does Gadsden compare with other Alabama towns?

Gadsden ranks 11th of the 25 Alabama towns in our directory for the number of waterfalls within 30 miles.